This was a fun birthday party. And although many things are different here than at home, one thing that is the same no matter where you are is the roller rink. Fashion police, have I got a job for you...

January 30, 2010

I love birthdays. They're just fun. I was fortunate enough on Friday to have lunch with Diane and Sara. As you can see, here are the spoils of that visit. :)

On Saturday, among other things, I went out with friends. Amanda made me this delicious cake. (We wanted to light the candles in the restaurant, but we weren't allowed.)

And this is the birthday party. After dinner, we headed to the roller rink for some retro fun!

Zoe is a sophomore vocal major (music performance and education). She talks non-stop and often stops by my office to chat. Zoe's great because a. she's nearly always super cheerful, and b. she gives great hugs, a rare commodity around here.

As for that thing she's holding, that's my white elephant gift (Yankee Swap for all you New Englanders) from this year's Christmas party. Mmm... squishy...

Every morning on my walk from the commuter parking lot (A lot) to the music department (at the Paul Creative Arts Center, more commonly known as the PCAC), I pass what UNH students refer to as "Jesus Coffee." There are other coffee carts on campus as well, but there's only one Jesus coffee.

Mmm... cheese...

For those of you who didn't pay attention in third-grade social studies, New Hampshire and Vermont are next-door neighbors. New Hampshire, by the way, is the one next door to Maine. The one that's skinny on top, or, as I like to think of it, shaped like a beer bottle.

But I digress.

The point is, Vermont has good cheese, and I like to eat it. :)

Tuesday, January 26th

Sara Ann (pronounced "Sahrah" because she's from Long Island) is a fellow grad assistant here in the music department. We make each other laugh in the grad office all day and generally carry on quite a bit. No one is safe from our mockery. No one.

PS: That thing she's holding? That's the Bumble. Straight from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer claymation special. When you press his tummy, he roars. And, judging from the beads, he also likes to party.

Monday, January 25th

Jen and I were roommates (two out of five roommates) last year and remained friends, in part because we both enjoy rock climbing. On my second day back in town, we were able to get together for Ladies Night at the climbing gym. It's been way too long since I last climbed - I'm still sore all over - but we both agreed that that was all the more reason for us to get together more often!

Sunday, January 24th

After three semesters of constant complaining, I'm getting pretty tired of my crappy attitude. I promise, people, I'm actually a pretty happy camper most of the time. When things go wrong, it's easy to get into a downward spiral, but THIS semester, I'm determined to keep things positive. So, I've decided to create a blog that will include things - things in New Hampshire, that is - that make me happy.

My first entry: my friend Amanda. Sometimes people choose to befriend you, and even though you don't know why, you feel pretty fortunate. That's the case here. My favorite inspirational quote from Amanda: "Julie, people like you and me... we don't give up."